GAME 12
Robert Morris (4-7) @ Louisville (8-3)
Friday, December 21, 2018 • 7:00 p.m.
KFC Yum! Center (22,000) • Louisville, Ky.

Radio: ESPN 970 AM & 106.3 FM
Talent: Chris Shovlin (pxp) & Jim Elias (color)
TV: ACC Network Extra
Talent: Kent Taylor (pxp) & Jody Demling (color) 
Twitter: @RMUMBasketball • Instagram: @RMUMBasketball
 
Quick Hits
 
- The Robert Morris University men's basketball team caps the road portion of its 2018-19 non-conference slate Friday by traveling to Louisville, Ky., for a 7:00 p.m. tip against Louisville ath the KFC Yum! Center.
 
- RMU's 2018 non-conference schedule features eight road games in eight different states. Kentucky is the last to join the list after California, Missouri, Florida, Indiana, Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey.
 
- The Colonials dropped their fourth consecutive game in their last contest with a 69-50 setback @ Rider (12/15/18). Senior guard Josh Williams scored a game-high 20 points for Robert Morris, finishing 6-for-14 from beyond the arc and going 2-for-2 at the free-throw line.
 
- RMU leads the Northeast Conference in scoring defense, allowing an average of 70.7 points per game, while ranking second in the league in assists (13.82 per game), turnover margin (+1.64) and assist-to-turnover ratio (0.95). Individually, senior guard Matty McConnell is tops in the circuit in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.22), while senior guard Josh Williams leads the NEC in three-point field goals made per game (4.36).
 
- Head coach Andrew Toole owns the highest winning percentage (.625) in games decided by five points or less (minimum 50 games) during the KenPom era (2002 to present). In nine seasons under Toole, the Colonials have posted a record of 55-33 in games decided by five points or less, including 0-1 in 2018-19.
 
- RMU's active leading scorer with 876 career points, senior guard Matty McConnell finished with two steals @ Rider (12/15/18), helping push his career total to 200 and becoming the eighth player in program history to reach the plateau.
 
- Over the last six games, guards Matty McConnell and Jon Williams have combined for 40 assists against 20 turnovers, an assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.00. Williams owns 26 assists during that span, while McConnell has recorded 14 dimes.
 
- The Colonials suffered their first home loss of the 2018-19 campaign and in the process dropped their third consecutive game overall with a 74-71 setback to Siena (12/8/18) at the North Athletic Complex. Kevin Degnan's three-pointer with 2.1 seconds to play helped lift the Saints to the victory.
 
- Senior guard Josh Williams led RMU with 19 points against Siena and also added three rebounds and two assists. He shot 6-for-13 from the field, including 3-for-5 from deep, and went 4-for-7 at the free-throw line. Senior guard Matty McConnell scored a season-high 16 points against the Saints and also registered two steals. 
 
- Robert Morris concludes its 2018-19 non-conference schedule with a home game after taking on the Cardinals Friday. The Colonials will welcome Hood to the North Athletic Complex Saturday, Dec. 29, for a 4:00 p.m. tip.

LOUISVILLE LINKS
- Game Notes (PDF)
- Game Notes (ISSUU)
- Audio
- Video
- Live Stats
 
Rider Tidbits - Robert Morris and Rider split the home-and-home series, with each team winning on its home court ... The Broncs own a 10-4 (.714) edge in the all-time series ... The Colonials suffered a season-high 29 turnovers in the loss, including 17 in the first half, with Rider turning those into 33 points ... RMU, meanwhile, forced the Broncs into 22 turnovers, the second highest total by an opponent in 2018-19 ... A total of 62 percent (31-of-50) of RMU's attempts from the floor came from beyond the arc ... Senior guard Josh Williams finished 6-for-14 from the three-point line, but the rest of the RMU roster went 3-for-17 (17.6%) ... Sophomore forward Charles Bain grabbed a team-high six rebounds and also scored nine points ... The Colonials shot a season-low 43.8 percent (7-for-16) from the free-throw line.
 
Louisville Series Hits - Robert Morris and Louisville meet for the just the second time in the all-time series Friday as well as the first time since RMU's second season as an NCAA Division I member in 1977-78 … In the first meeting between the two programs, the Cardinals posted a 63-58 victory over the Colonials Dec. 10, 1977, at Freedom Hall … Robert Morris and Louisville square off for the second game in the all-time series after a layoff of 41 years and 11 days. The only Division I opponents that have a longer stretch between their first and second meetings for the Colonials are Western Kentucky, Tulane and Southern … RMU faced off with Western Kentucky in its first NCAA season Jan. 30, 1978, but have not been on the schedule since, while the Colonials faced Tulane (12/5/77) and Southern (12/7/77) early in the 1977-78 season but have since not appeared on the schedule.
 
A Sense Of Calm - Head coach Andrew Toole appointed the same five student-athletes as starters in each of RMU's first 11 games of the season, as Matty McConnell, Jon Williams and Josh Williams have been penciled in at guard, while Charles Bain and Yannis Mendy have started at forward. It's the longest stretch to start a season under Toole with the same starting lineup, and it's also the longest stretch of games at any point during a season in Toole's nine years in which he used the same starting lineup.
 
2-for-3 - Thanks to a 6-for-14 performance from beyond the arc @ Rider (12/15/18), senior guard Josh Williams pushed his streak of consecutive games with at least two three-pointers to nine. His performance against the Broncs helped Williams tie a school record that was originally established by former guard Karvel Anderson (2012-14) during his first season in an RMU uniform in 2012-13. Williams ranks fourth in NCAA Division I with an average of 4.36 three-pointers made per game. A look at the two streaks by Williams and Anderson ...
 

Name	3FG-3FGA (Pct.)	Dates	PPG
Josh Williams	44-87 (.506)	11/14/18 to 12/15/18	19.0
Karvel Anderson	33-66 (.500)	11/26/12 to 1/5/13	14.8

 Fifty Cent - Senior guard Josh Williams owns 48 three-pointers in 11 games on the 2018-19 campaign and has the opportunity to be the fastest student-athlete in program history to reach 50 three-pointers. The school mark of 16 games to 50 three-pointers was set by former guard Karvel Anderson (2013-14) during the 2013-14 campaign.
 
Meanwhile ... It might not be out of the stretch of imagination that senior guard Josh Williams could join the 1,000-Point Club in 2018-19. Williams, a transfer from Akron that sat out the 2017-18 campaign due to NCAA transfer rules, scored 489 in two seasons with the Zips. He owns 680 career points entering Friday's game @ Louisville and is on pace to finish the regular season with 1,027 career points. Williams is also on track to establish a new RMU single-season record for three-pointers. The mark of 119 was set by former guard Karvel Anderson (2012-14) in 2013-14, with Williams on pace for 135. 
 
Streaking - Senior guard Josh Williams currently owns the longest active streak for consecutive double-figure scoring games for Robert Morris at five. During that stretch, Williams is averaging 16.6 points per game.
 
Grand Theft Auto - Senior guard Matty McConnell finished with two steals @ Rider (12/15/18), pushing his career total in the category to 200. McConnell is the eighth player in school history to eclipse 200 career thefts, as well as the fifth student-athlete to accomplish the feat that has been coached by Andrew Toole. He joins a list that also includes Tony Lee (2004-08), Jeremy Chappell (2005-09), Velton Jones (2008-13) and Kavon Stewart (2013-17).

Follow The Colonials: Twitter | Instagram

Tweet #GRIT